Fatal house blast suspicious, say police

Thursday 8 May 2008 10.51 EDT
First published on Thursday 8 May 2008 10.51 EDT

Detectives are investigating whether a man killed in an explosion that demolished three homes in north-west London was murdered.

A Metropolitan police spokesman said the investigation was in its early stages but confirmed that the blast, which seriously wounded two other people, was being treated as suspicious.

The explosion ripped through three terraced properties in Stanley Road, South Harrow, at about 9.40pm yesterday. It knocked over passers by, shattered windows in the surrounding area and was heard and felt for miles around.

Police were unable to give further details about the cause of the blast because extensive damage was preventing detectives from accessing the properties.

They are expected to be declared safe for entry tomorrow, after which the body of the dead man - who has yet to be identified - will be removed for a postmortem examination.

Last night, a 26-year-old man was taken to hospital with serious head injuries along with a 17-year-old girl with burns.

Phil Redmond, who has lived in the street for 10 years, said his front door was blown down by the blast.

"I was terrified, I feared for my life," he said. "I was just putting the kids to bed. The wife was at a meeting - thank God she was out of the house.

"I've never heard a bang like it. I did not know what it was. The kids came running in to me screaming. I threw some clothes on them and we ran straight downstairs. Bits of rubble were still falling off next door and people were in the street searching for survivors."